


The Reminder

by renstansyuta (kei_yairi)



Series: My OTP in IRL & an AU. [7]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angel Wings, Angst and Tragedy, Comfort/Angst, Fantasy, Gen, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:34:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23743894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kei_yairi/pseuds/renstansyuta
Summary: There were dates on each paper. There were March 2nd, May 13th, August 25th, and the other three hundred sixty three dates. It was written on every paper with different timing, different subject, and different address. How many papers do you think spread on his table?
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Nakamoto Yuta
Series: My OTP in IRL & an AU. [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1556110
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	The Reminder

****====....____....====****

“Ah?” The young man gasped when a drop of blood fell from his nose. He hurriedly wiped the paper that was suddenly dotted with blood. “This is not good…” He quickly covered his nose to prevent more blood from strewing the other papers.

No. He didn’t panic for the blood from his nose. It was never about his nose-bleeding. His bleeding self was never part of his concern. The blood was not crucial enough to make his heart beat faster. He was worried for the papers he had on his desk.

There were dates on each paper. There were March 2nd, May 13th, August 25th, and the other three hundred sixty three dates. It was written on every paper with different timing, and different address. How many papers do you think spread on his table?

“It… it’s the leap year… this is… a leap year…” he reminded himself as he gazed upward, still trying to prevent more blood from slipping out from his nose. Because he couldn’t look at what he was stepping on, he was almost tripped by papers under his feet.

No, there was no floor in the _room_. It’s not even a room in the first place. The place that was surrounding the young man was similar to a glass ball with a working desk in it. The chair was the only thing that could lessen the young man’s tiredness.

With the chair, the young man didn’t have to stand to write all of the dates, the schedule, and agenda in hundreds—no. Thousands—no. Millions? Perhaps. Or maybe it’s even more than _mere_ ‘millions’ of papers inside the ball-shaped glass room.

Desk, chair, papers, and pen – with seemingly infinite ink – were the things that always accompanied him all the time. The young man only wore a white tunic robe, and a rope as the belt. He only wore those every single day.

No, he didn’t have to change his clothes. What for? He was not human. The Absolute Being called him with the name “Reminder”. He was the creature with the duty to arrange and straighten humans’ memories.

Then why was he bleeding? He’s NOT human, was he?

Yes, he’s not human. Yet he’s not an omnipotent either. He’s not eternal. He’s not immortal. The fatigue could still crack him and he still had the limit. Again, he’s not even close to a demigod. He’s…

...only a Reminder.

There were many blood spots on his white robe. It wasn’t the first time blood dripped from his nose. It happened to him before, a day before, a week before, a month before. Yet there was even no time for him to clean it all.

Why did he bleed? Because taking care of millions of promises in three hundred and sixty five days in one year, in two thousands and nineteen years for millions of different people, in millions different places was never an easy thing to do.

If you forgot about something, you could always blame him. He was the Reminder anyway. He was the one who reminded you, make you remember every promise you’ve made: meetings, sport club gathering, a gift for your lover, and all.

The papers that spread on his desk and everywhere inside the big glass ball were humans’ entire memories that he recorded. From inside the glass ball where he _lived_ , he would send the Memories to each human using the “Messenger” services.

“Yuta?”

The Reminder turned his head toward one of the Messengers that floated outside his big glass ball. That one Messenger was the only one who ever spoke to him. They always met in secret like this. That way, both of them won’t get any warning.

If they got warning, they would get punishment. The worst punishment they’ve heard was the Messenger might get transferred to other divisions and they couldn’t see each other ever again. They tried very hard to prevent that from happening.

“Are you alright?” the Messenger asked.

The Reminder fell silent. “Yuta” was the name the Messenger gave him. The Messenger gave the name to him on October 26th seventeen years ago. It was exactly one year after their very first meeting. That was the first time he smiled too.

He read humans’ every memory on the papers inside his big glass ball. Every human had a name: Cheryl, Takayasu, Michael, Rico, Myung-soo, Renee, and any other of it. Every one of them had a name and it meant a lot for any other human who called the names.

He read the names on the papers inside his glass ball. There were so many of them. Yet, the Reminder lived alone. A name was only an imaginary thing to him. No one around him would call him; a name would be no use for him.

In the end, not choosing any of the written names, he kept the wish of having a name to himself.

“Hey, Yuta?” called the Messenger again, as he knocked on the big glass ball that _imprisoned_ the Reminder; Yuta, him. Yuta looked up at the Messenger that was still floating outside the big glass ball. Yuta saw him frown.

“Yes?” Yuta answered, finally.

“I’m asking you… are you alright?” the Messenger repeated his question.

“I’m alright.” Yuta smiled wholeheartedly. He hid both of his hands behind him, away from the Messenger’s sight. Secretly Yuta wiped the blood from his hand to his white robe, adding more of the red spots to his once pale clothes. “Red” could actually only be used in his part-tense, for the colour for the other older spots was now darkened to near black. Also the “white” for his tunic robe that was no longer pure for it was already stained too much.

The Messenger smiled, relieved. “Glad that you’re okay,” he said.

“I’m sorry for worrying you, Jaehyun.”

The Messenger smiled. “Jaehyun” was the name Yuta gave to the Messenger as a sign of gratitude. He gave the name on February 14th, months after the Messenger gave him his name. He chose the “Jaehyun” name from a strong male he found in the memory letters about music.

Yuta exhaled a relieved sigh back then, when he saw the Messenger smile at the name Yuta gave him. He didn’t choose the wrong name then. Or else, he won’t see the Messenger smiled at him. After that moment, Jaehyun was the only Messenger who had a name. At least as far as Yuta heard it.

Oh, if you asked them about their ages, they wouldn't answer. They don’t have the answer. They couldn’t find the answer anywhere in the universe about when was the first time they opened their eyes, or when they could actually speak for the first time.

“Ah?” Yuta stretched his hand toward Jaehyun. But of course, his palm stopped at the glass that was surrounding him, holding him back from touching anything outside the big glass ball. The only moment the glass ball would be opened was when he gave the rolled papers of humans’ memories to the Messenger.

From there, the Messengers were the ones who sent the memories to each human. Those were the only things they’ve done. They never opened the big glass ball, they never could. They didn’t have the power to do it.

None of them could even answer a question about when will the glass ball be opened again after this.

Yuta stroked his hand at the glass ball, as if he was caressing Jaehyun’s forehead. “Is that… a scar?”

It startled the Messenger. He touched his own forehead and forced a chuckle. “This was nothing.”

“I didn’t see it when you visited me last time.”

“You remembered…?”

How would a Reminder forget such a thing? There were more than thousands of – humans’ – memories he managed every single day. Remembering things was what he was expert at. Of course a change in someone special’s face was so noticeable for him.

“What happened?” Yuta asked.

“Nothing h—”

“WHAT HAD HAPPENED?!” Yuta repeated. His loud voice echoed inside his big glass ball. Among anything Jaehyun had, a lie was absolutely Yuta’s least favourite thing. A lie was the least thing he expected to hear from Jaehyun.

Jaehyun lowered his gaze, breaking his stare away from Yuta. “Guardian…”

“Guardian?” Yuta gasped. “A Guardian hit you?” Yuta asked, and Jaehyun nodded slowly. “Bu… but why?!”

Jaehyun stared deep into Yuta’s eyes. He stretched both of his hands and leaned it on the big glass ball that _imprisoned_ Yuta inside it. “They were angry when I asked for permission from them to let you take a rest for awhile.”

“Wh… what..?!”

“I asked them to open this glass ball!” Jaehyun hit the glass ball. There was no tremble. The glass ball didn’t even quaver. The glass was too hard to be shattered by anyone. Who made the glass ball? That’s a rhetorical question and such a question didn’t need any answer, did it?

“Jaehyun… why—”

“I need them to open this glass ball, Yuta. I need them to let you wash your clothes, or even give you a new one. I need them to let you step on the proper floor. I need them to let you know that there are other colours than the paper white, your pen ink black, or your blood red, Yuta!”

“Jaehyun, you don’t—”

“I NEED YOU TO LIVE, YUTA!”

The Reminder fell onto the piles of papers inside the glass ball. The amount of papers that already became his responsibility almost made him blind for real globe-shape of the glass that was surrounding him.

Those piles of papers had become the new place for him to stand on. Yuta even had to pull his desk up, out from, and on those paper piles. New people were born, memories increased, new papers emerged from out of nowhere, and Yuta’s job was automatically swelled out.

“I… I DO live, Jaehyun…” A tear streamed from Yuta’s eyes.

“You’re FAR more valuable than those papers, Yuta!”

“Humans need these, Jaehyun…” Yuta gripped the cloth in front of his chest.

“WHAT FOR?! To make them remember when they have to finish off their business competitor?! When they have to start a war with another country?! How many seconds do they need to detonate a building?! Do you work for those things, Yuta?!”

“It’s not only those, Jaehyun!” Yuta screamed between his sobs.

“Fine! It’s not only those! You have to remind mothers to give those teddy bears to their daughters. Remind a guy to give the ring to the girl. Now, let me ask you. ONE. THING. Yuta. When was the last time you got a present?!”

“October 26th seventeen years ago…” Yuta answered without even thinking about it.

The answer drove Jaehyun into mute. Yes, it was the only ‘gift’ Yuta had ever received in his _life_. ‘Yuta’ was the only thing the Reminded ever got as a present. For all this time as a Reminder, that was the only thing he—

“No…” Yuta frowned. “Th… there’s another one…”

“What?” Jaehyun asked without looking back at Yuta. He was the only one who ever _gave_ something to the Reminder. And ‘Yuta’ was the only _thing_ he ever gave. It’s almost impossible for the Reminder to even get the second thing after that.

The rules that bind them even prevent anyone in the _system_ from looking into each other's eyes. Moreover, to _exchange gifts_. Jaehyun and Yuta looked at each others’ eyes thousand times. They _exchanged gifts_. They were the rebel in the unbounded _organisation_.

“It’s… you… Jaehyun…” Yuta caressed the glass before him, _caressed_ Jaehyun’s face that he could never touch. “God sent you to accompany me here… you’re the other _present_ I’ve ever received. The first one. The best one even.”

Jaehyun fell into another silence for the words. He had never expected such an answer.

“I was never really lonely because you’re here with me, Jaehyun…” The Reminder smiled. “You’re the _gift_ I _always_ received every time you came here; you visited me, and asked about how I was feeling all the time inside here…”

The Messenger reciprocated the smile. At the same time, a tear escaped his eyes. “There are so many other things I want to give you, Yuta. But it’s impossible to bring a pine tree here, isn’t it?” Jaehyun asked and made both of them giggled.

“Yes, of course it’s impossible to bring a pine tree to a place where humans’ memories are the only priority here,” said a voice that startled both the Reminder and the Messenger. They turned their heads toward the owner of the voice.

It’s a Guardian. A Guardian with a pair of majestic white wings behind his back that kept him floated in the air. It was the Guardian who hit Jaehyun. It was the Guardian who had the duty to make sure every person in the _system_ followed the orders, and everything was under control.

If anything happened not appropriate with the rules and regulations, a Guardian would take action to return everything into the proper lane. Guardian, the creature in shining platinum armours, with a sword in his hand, was currently doing his duty.

“Reminders don’t receive any gift because it’s not their duty to receive any,” the Guardian explained. “And Messengers don’t give anything to anyone because it’s not their duty to give any. Both of you are CURSED for breaking those rules.”

“But we’ve never neglected our duties!” Jaehyun resisted.

“I see that you’re lying. I don’t find the truth in your words.” The Guardian asked as he turned his head and looked at Yuta. “Look. Then why is this Reminder not sitting on his chair and not writing humans’ memories that had been entrusted to him?”

“Have you ever put yourself in his position?!” Jaehyun yelled at the Guardian. “Have you ever thought if you have to work non-stop, dealing with things that were actually not your responsibility?! Why don’t humans do something to their limited memories with their hands, pens, papers, and—”

The Guardian hit Jaehyun’s face with the back of his platinum-gloved hand. The vast power the Guardian possessed threw Jaehyun away far from Yuta’s glass ball. “Jaehyun?!” Yuta called when he saw blood trickled in the air.

“Of course, it’s his responsibility as a Reminder. All of us didn’t call his as “Reminder” not for nothing, Messenger. And you. Prepare yourselft. Protest is not in the list of Messenger’s duties. Your punishment had been added, Messenger.”

“Wait! He’s innocent!” Yuta defended.

“Defending anyone is also not part of your duty, Reminder!” The Guardian unsheathed his sword.

“No…” Jaehyun stretched his hand.

“That Messenger of yours once asked me to let you out from your workplace, this glass orb.” The Guardian drew his sword high above his head, in front of Yuta. “Do you really want to go out?” asked the Guardian. “I’ll open this glass orb for you!”

“No!” Jaehyun called when he saw the Guardian swung his sword with all of his might, right to the glass ball that kept Yuta inside. “Yuta?!” The Messenger screamed when the Guardian’s sword shattered the glass ball in one slash.

There Yuta got the answer. Outside from his duty which is handing those memories to the Messengers, the thing that could open his glass ball is only one: Guardian’s sword. But to make a Guardian swing his sword, Yuta must make him furious first, by breaking the rules.

And to be able to leave the glass ball, Yuta had to lose his blood more than he shed all of this time.

The papers filled with humans’ memories scattered in the air. The glass ball shattered into small pieces and shards that floated down. Like a crystal rain, the shards fell along with Yuta’s body, to the much wider area, a wider place that was always away from Yuta’s reach.

“Yuta!!!”

Jaehyun flew to Yuta’s direction, but with speed and power level far above Jaehyun, the Guardian caught him and held him in his place. Jaehyun could only witness Yuta’s body that fell with blood bespattered from the large wound on his chest.

 _「_ _…“There are other colours than the_  
paper white, your pen ink black,  
or your blood red, Yuta!”… _」_

Jaehyun’s words returned to Yuta's heart. As he fell, Yuta looked up at the papers floated above him. His ink bottle was also smashed to smithereens; Yuta watched the ink trickle in a slow motion. The blackness of the ink mixed with the redness from the blood from his body.

_The colours were still white… still black… and still red, Jaehyun…_

“Ah..?” Yuta gasped as his gaze caught some other things. The glass fragments that fell with him collected the light from the sun and refracted it into many colours. There were so many colours other than white, black, and red that Yuta saw on the glass tiny fragments’ surfaces. It was around him.

Yuta smiled. He finally saw what Jaehyun had planned to show him. Yuta searched for an orange colour. Among those colours, Yuta could only guess which was green without knowing whether he was right or wrong. He was unsure whether a certain colour was indigo or was it something else.

“It’s… beautiful… Jae…” Yuta said with a smile before he closed his eyes for the last time. "Thank you... I finally see colours..."

“YUTA!!!”

“Thank you… Jaehyun…”

**____....++++****** **・** **=fin=** **・** ******++++....____**


End file.
